FACELIFTING PILGRIM REGION - VELANKANNI
1.1 INTRODUCTION
One of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in India is Velankanni. It is a
town that is located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in the southern region of Tamil
Nadu. The Basilica of Our Lady of Health is a well-known shrine that welcomes
visitors from all over the world. People of various faiths, in addition to Christians,
visit this church to offer prayers at the shrine to "Our Lady of Health." Velankanni has
been designated as a "Holy City" by Pope John XXIII, who is aware of the
significance of this settlement. Visitors from all over the world who are believers
flock to this shrine because of its reputation for miracles.
Every year, massive crowds visit the church to pay respects and seek
blessings. About 20 million pilgrims travel to the church on a yearly basis. During the
feast, almost 3 million pilgrims set foot on the church grounds.
1.2 NEED FOR THE STUDY
Modernization and globalization have led to great improvement in the
movement of people from one place to another place through various modes of
transport. Thus, spiritual tourism has improved a lot and the number of people visiting
the religious spots keeps increasing every year. In the case of Velankanni, the context
around the Church is underdeveloped. The context doesn’t have the capability to
manage the huge crowd during the festivals. Also, several built spaces like resting
spaces, parking, community dining, etc., are lacking in the context. Hence, a regional
facelift is required for this place.
1.3 AIM
This project aims to examine the spatial manifestation of the pilgrimage and
looks at its potential in the designing of context-specific built environments for the
pilgrims. This also includes improving the context in terms of transportation
networks, utilizing open spaces, facilities for the pilgrims, etc.
1.4 OBJECTIVE
Study of the History of Settlement
Study of the Socio-cultural setting of the region
The character of the Region
Charting the circulation (pedestrian/vehicular)
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Charting the utilization of available open spaces at different times of the day
Activities of people (Normal day/ Festival)
Observing events taking place at the Church
Study of requirements for the Pilgrims
Charting the facilities available for the pilgrims
Zoning Activities
Service infrastructures available
Study the Church’s architectural style
Influence of Pilgrimage in this context
Study of existing Land use
Heritage and conservation
Occupational study of the people of the region
1.5 SCOPE
Understanding how the pilgrimage happens, their needs and requirements
Understanding the problems faced by the pilgrims during the visit.
Understanding the cultural, social, and architectural context.
Understanding the activities of the context at different times.
Study results and Built scopes:
o Built scopes to fulfill the requirements of the pilgrims and Locals.
o A Masterplan containing the below listed:
o The utilization of available open spaces.
o Effective circulation planning.
o Basic amenities and services.
o Developmental opportunities for the neighborhood.
o Preserving the heritage and character of the place.
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1.6 LIMITATION
The number of pilgrims visiting the site will be very high during the festival
time, hence crowd management, safety and service systems, efficient
circulation, etc. have to be planned.
The site is prone to tsunamis and storms. Hence, the built scopes have to be
planned accordingly.
We have to stick to the Gothic Church architectural style to design. So that, it
does not deviate from the character of the context.
The context consists of a poor fishermen community. Hence, economical
sustainability in planning is important.
1.7 METHODOLOGY
1. A preliminary study about the pilgrimage, culture, and context.
2. Direct observation during the festival (Christmas)
o Observation of pilgrimage activities
o Observation of circulation
o Mapping the utilization of the spaces
o Observing the problems faced by the Pilgrims
o Documentation using Videos and Photographs
o Understanding the context
3. Mapping the problems and analyzing the obtained data
4. Macro Proposals (At Context scale: circulation planning, open spaces, etc.)
5. Micro Proposals ( At Site scale: Built scopes)
1.8 SITE
Velankanni – comes under Special Grade Town Panchayat
Situated on the Sea Shore of the Bay of Bengal at Keelvelur Taluk and
Nagapattinam District
Town Population (2011 census) – 11,077 [Male – 5308, Female – 5769]
Important Festivals – 1. Velankanni Matha Festival – Aug-Sep – 10 Days
2. Christmas Festival – December – 5 days
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The marked area is where the
festival is celebrated.
1.9 LIVE CASE STUDY
[ To be planned after conducting the site study.]
